Start your day off learning about Egyptian history at the Egyptian Museum, which houses the largest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts on earth. Here you find more than 100 rooms filled with everything from treasures pilfered from ancient tombs to real mummies, as well as statues, religious items, and other archaeological artifacts. The museum is also the home of the mask of King Tutankhamen, the stunning golden funerary mask in which the young pharaoh was buried. Visit independently or maximize your time on a tour. A guide can help educate you on Egyptian history and culture, in preparation for your next stop.

It’s a short drive from Cairo to the town of El Giza, home to the country’s iconic monument: The Pyramids of Giza. This UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses not only the three pyramids (Cheops, Khafre, and Menkaure), but also several smaller pyramids as well as the Great Sphinx. While at Giza, take a camel, quad, or horse ride in the surrounding desert—doing so gives you access to otherwise hard-to-reach vantage points for taking photos of the ancient collection of monuments.

After freshening up at your hotel, finish your evening in Cairo in style with an evening dinner cruise along the Nile River. Cruises offer views of the city's skyline from the river, and many cruise options come with the choice of set menus or a la carte choices, most with plenty of vegetarian options. Cruises generally also feature live performances with traditional folk music, tanoura dance performances (similar to whirling dervishes found in Turkey), belly dancing, or some combination of the three.